Proinsias De Rossa
Question:1 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on his recent visit to the Council of Europe meeting in Vienna.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Council of Europe Summit.
John Bruton
Question:2 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach if he will give a report on the Council of Europe Summit.
John Bruton
Question:3 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach his views on having regular summits of Prime Ministers of the Council of Europe.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1, 2 and 3 together. I attended the first Council of Europe Summit meeting in Vienna on 8-9 October 1993, accompanied by the Minister of State with responsibility for European Affairs, Deputy Tom Kitt.
The agenda for the meeting embraced two main themes: (1) the role of the Council of Europe in the new Europe — political and institutional aspects; and (2) action relating to the strengthening of democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law.
The summit adopted the Vienna Declaration and I have had the Declaration laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas with the texts of the two interventions I made at the meeting. Against the background of a message received from President Boris Yeltsin, the summit also adopted a separate Declaration on Russia; I have also had copies of these documents laid before both Houses.
I availed of the opportunity presented by the presence in Vienna of so many Heads of State and Government to hold bilateral discussions in the wings of the summit meeting with President Havel of the Czech Republic and with the Heads of Government of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy, Denmark, Portugal, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey, Slovenia and Estonia. My discussions with EC Heads of Government focused particularly on the Special European Council to be held on 29 October. While this is the subject of separate questions, I would like to mention here that on the basis of my contacts in Vienna, I am confident that the Special European Council is likely to confirm the agreement reached in Lisbon and reiterated in Copenhagen that the enlargement of the Community now being negotiated can take place on the basis of the existing institutional arrangements in the Community.
So far as the question of regular Council of Europe summits is concerned, there is no doubt that the Vienna Summit provided the opportunity for giving fresh impetus to the Council of Europe in meeting the new challenges facing Europe. The Vienna Declaration adopted by the summit underlined the Council of Europe's resolve to make full use of the political forum provided by the existing Council of Ministers and Parliamentary Assembly to promote the strengthening of democratic security in Europe. The question of regular summits can be kept under review in the light of progress in implementing the Declaration.
Does the Taoiseach concur with the view of President Mitterrand, who convened this summit, that the Council of Europe could provide the basis for an all European Confederation of States? If so, will he indicate how that relates to the European Community? I understand from press reports that in the course of his address to the summit he supported the application by Russia for membership of the Council of Europe. Will he indicate to the House the basis on which he supports such an application and if it will be predicated on the requirement for democratic elections for a parliament with powers distinct from a Seanad type assembly in Russia?
The Council of Europe is clearly a vehicle that can be used successfully to admit members from central and eastern Europe. We are all aware that many of these countries have submitted applications for membership of the European Community and, while they would be given associate status in the early stages, when they progress to developing market economies and upholding democracy and other areas attaching to that they would then become a full member of the European Community.
I do not see the Council of Europe replacing the European Community but I see opportunities for the Community to enlarge its membership in the future. As we know there are four applicant countries and many applicants in central and eastern Europe are seeking full membership of the Community. In the meantime the Council of Europe is a good forum, for those countries which are not part of the Council, to join.
The Taoiseach did not address my second question.
There is a separate declaration in relation to Russia and the details of the declarations, with my two interventions at the Council of Europe meeting in Vienna, are in the Library for everybody to read.
Does the Taoiseach consider that the unanimity rule should be changed as all 33 Members of the Council of Ministers must agree before anything can be done in the Council of Europe?
We were able to reach agreement on two issues even with the very large membership. Members held many different views on certain issues for some time but the fact that we were able to reach unanimity shows there is a genuine commitment to the Council of Europe and to making full use of it.
There is a four year backlog in the Court of Human Rights. Is the Taoiseach satisfied that the measures taken at Vienna will eliminate that backlog because justice delayed is justice denied?
I am aware there are 1,500 cases backed up——
The number is 5,800.
The figure given at the conference was 1,500 but we will not argue about that. Whatever the figure, there is a huge backlog and quite clearly the streamlining of the institutions to tackle it is necessary. Consequently, the fusion of the court of Human Rights and the Commission is a step in the right direction as it will be able to tackle them. I hope it accepts the view of Ireland in the final arrangement that members should give two individuals in perpetuity and not try to put obstacles in their way every five years or the length of the review period.
Is the Taoiseach satisfied that the Council of Europe is not diluting its standards in regard to human rights by virtue of the fact that Romania and Slovakia have both been admitted to membership even though the Council acknowledges that they do not meet the full human rights requirement?
It was made abundantly clear in my address to the Convention and by many others that the standards should not be diluted and that they should be upheld, this should be quite clear in the declarations.
My question impinges on human and democratic rights. Will the Taoiseach state his view on the admission of Russia to the Council of Europe? Does he consider the proposal of President Boris Yeltsin to have elections to a body which, effectively, would have no parliamentary powers and which would enable him to continue to rule by decree would satisfy the rules of the Council of Europe?
As I already stated, the declaration in relation to Russia is in the Library for every Member to see. We all subscribed to that declaration in Vienna. The Deputy's question is answered in that regard.
In his intervention at Vienna, the Taoiseach acknowledged the application to Ireland of the declaration on minority interests. In particular that declaration refers to confidence building measures to increase tolerance. What specific measures does the Taoiseach have in mind to develop the application of that declaration, particularly in the light of relations between both communities in Northern Ireland?
We are having an extension of the question.
The aspects of the declaration in relation to minorities were focused primarily on the problems in central and eastern Europe and in bringing forward a framework convention. That should be speedily drafted specifying the principles which the contracting states commit themselves to to ensure the protection of national minorities. I referred to the situation in Northern Ireland. I refer the Deputy to the existence of the Anglo-Irish Agreement, which is of course a bilateral Treaty which has considerable relevance in this domain as has the Government's recognition that a just and lasting peace must be based on mutual recognition and protection of the rights and identities of both Unionists and Nationalists. The Anglo-Irish Agreement is our framework in this regard and the other covention framework will be directed primarily at central and eastern European states.